| November 10, 2019
Dear NOW leaders and activists, The ERA momentum is simply unstoppable now. With the recent Virginia elections making the state poised to become the last one needed for ratification, the U.S. Congress must now do its part. The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary will hold a mark-up on H.J.Res.79, the bill to remove the deadline from the 1972 ERA on Wednesday, November 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET. More information is available at the Judiciary website. While this deadline removal is not required, supporters are pushing it as “backup” insurance.* The time is now to reach out to your House members to cosponsor and support this bill, formerly known as H.J.Res.38. Action is needed in the Senate as well for S.J.RES.6: A joint resolution removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment. This bill will need both Republican and Democrat cosponsors so it is vital that we reach out to both parties to urge their sponsorship. Please see sample outreach language below and contact your members of Congress. NOW has been on the frontlines of the movement to pass the ERA since our beginning. In 1970, 20 NOW leaders disrupted hearings of the US Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments, demanding that the ERA be considered by the full Congress. We’ve been demanding our rights and disrupting the patriarchy ever since. Now we will see this long journey through to victory! Contact Your Representative: You can find your representative’s contact information here. I am a voter in ___(Your State)___ and I urge you to cosponsor and support H.J. Res79, to remove the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA will guarantee full and equal protections claims based on sex, as they now do to claims based on race, religion or national origin. The ERA is a long overdue remedy to the inequality faced by girls and women over the past 200+ years. When Virginia becomes the last state to ratify this amendment, removing the deadline will be helpful to the effort if and when the ERA faces legal challenges. Contact Your Senator: Capitol Switchboard, 202-224-3121, or find your Senator online here. I am a voter in ___(Your State)___ and I urge you to cosponsor and support Senate bill S.J.RES.6: A joint resolution removing the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA will guarantee full and equal protections claims based on sex, as they now do to claims based on race, religion or national origin. The ERA is a long overdue remedy to the inequality faced by girls and women over the past 200+ years. When Virginia becomes the last state to ratify this amendment, removing the deadline will be helpful to the effort if and when the ERA faces legal challenges. Social Media And don’t forget to speak out on social media and tag your members of Congress! Women need the equality NOW! Congress must support H.J.Res38 and S.J.Res6 to remove deadlines for ratification. #ERANow Additional ERA Resources: *Article V of the Constitution states that once three-fourths of the states have ratified, the amendment becomes part of the Constitution and that is the process that the Archivist of the United States, who officially receives the states’ certification of their legislatures’ approval, has stated in writing he will follow with the ERA. Alice Paul Institute: www.equalrightsamendment.org FAQ: https://www.equalrightsamendment.org/faq NOW’s history and the ERA information is available here. |
